Teetotalism

“ No man knows it thoroughly but he who has once been its slave. The craving of the nose once accustomed to be fed, for snuff—of the throat and fauces once seasoned to the use, for smoke—and of the teeth and gums once used to be drawn, for the reiterate chew—oh, it is dreadful!—and I say there is no remedy against the evil but teetotalism.
I have said nothing on those popular stimulants, tea and coffee, for, as generally used, I think they are both innocent, as they are certainly agreeable beverages. ”

“ The difficulty with these persons is to keep them from drink, however hurtful they may know it to be, for their condition is one of disease, and they have seldom sufficient resolution to abstain. When they do abstain they furnish striking examples of the success of teetotalism by being changed from a state closely bordering on insanity into responsible members of society; but the ordinary experience with regard to them is that they have a succession of relapses into intemperance, and that they ultimately die, directly or indirectly, from the effects of drink. ”

“ My wife’s a teetotaler, and has suckled four children upon the principle of total abstinence. Teetotalism has made my home quite happy, and what I get goes twice as far. Where I work now, four out of five of us are teetotalers. I am quite satisfied that the heaviest work that a man can possibly do may be done without a drop of fermented liquor. I say so from my own experience. All kind of intoxicating drinks is quite a delusion. ”

“ It is astonishing what a number of people there are who drink little or nothing, and especially amazing is it to find this lack of sense in people suffering from constipation. One would suppose that they above all others would see the wisdom of irrigating their bowels. But it is seldom that there is one who thinks of such a thing. A cup of coffee or tea at meal-time, in addition to the liquid contained in the food, is the extent of water consumption by ever so many teetotalers and other "totalers," especially women, until they reach, say, thirty years of age. ”

“ Nature Often Cures.—Nature often makes a prompt cure in these cases by causing a sharp attack of vomiting or diarrhœa. If a cure is not made in this way, then we can imitate nature by giving an emetic, or by taking a laxative, in order to rid the body of the indigestible material as soon as possible.
Treatment.—If there is much pain in the stomach, a mustard plaster should be placed directly over the pit of the stomach, or cloths wrung out in hot water. For the next day following the attack the diet should be restricted to milk, or poached eggs on toast, or something of this kind. ”

“ The Disorder, when depending on this Cause, is sometimes not so violent, but of a longer Duration, and returns whenever the Patient heats himself; when he goes to Bed; when he eats any heating Food, or Drink, Wine or Coffee. In this Case he should be bled, without which his other Medicines will have little Effect; and he should bathe his Feet in warm Water for some Evenings successively, taking one Dose of the Powder No. 20. Entire Abstinence from Wine and Meat, especially at Night, has cured several Persons of inveterate and obstinate Maladies of the Teeth. ”

“ Selfish and thoughtless nurses, and mothers too sometimes, give cordials and sleeping-draughts, the effects of which are too well known.
During the cutting of the temporary teeth, the infant's head should be kept cool, and its feet and hands warm. The body clothing should be light but warm. The apartments occupied by the child should be rather cool at this time. If the bowels are confined, the diet should be altered, and a little calcined magnesia given in milk. Weak and improper food is often the cause of tardy teething. Children should be washed daily, and always kept sweet and clean. ”

“ The symptoms of the disorders of dentition are hot, swollen gums, accompanied by feverishness and restlessness, starting, as if in fright, or interrupted sleep, increased flow of saliva, various eruptions on the head or body, derangements of the digestive organs. Summer complaint is the most frequent of the ailments peculiar to teething, which see page 225.
[Pg 230]
The most prevalent and serious cause for these ailments is to be found in the adoption of a mixed diet at too early an age. A teething infant cannot with impunity be thus fed. ”

“ On the contrary in great inflammation, the subduction of food, and of spirituous drink, contributes much to the cure of the disease. As by these means both the stimulus from distention of the vessels, as well as that from the acrimony of the fluids, is decreased; but in both these respects the previous habits of diet of the patients must be attended to. Thus if tea be made stronger, than the patient has usually drank it, it belongs to the article sorbentia; if weaker, it belongs to the torpentia. ”

“ From what has been said upon this subject, it will probably be admitted, that children and very young persons in general should be deterred from the use of this infusion. It weakens their stomachs, impairs the digestive powers, and favours the generation of many diseases. We seldom perceive the rudiments of scrophulous diseases so often any where as in the weak feeble offspring of the inhabitants of towns, and whose breakfast and supper often consist of the weak runnings of ordinary Tea, with its usual appurtenances. It ought by no means to be the common diet of boarding-schools ”

“ It would be unjust to ascribe all these qualities to their manner of living: other causes have undoubtedly their share: but it may be suspected, that the manner of life, or kind of diet, that tends to debilitate, virtually contributes to the increase of the meaner qualities. When force of body is wanting, cunning often supplies its place; and if not regulated by other principles, it would discover its effects more universally; and thus will take place whether the debility is natural, or acquired by a diet that enfeebles the body. ”

“ From the age of seven months to twenty years, man is being supplied with those thirty-two pearly bones with which to prepare the food for entrance into the stomach, that it may be converted into milk, from which blood, the life principle, is derived each day.
Headache and toothache, one or both, render the school days of many a youth burdensome. This, too, may be caused as much from cold feet, indigestion, and constipation, as from either arduous studies or decaying teeth. ”

“ The removal of the cause of the disorder, then, in a large number of instances of derangement of the stomach and bowels, if effected early, will cure the disease, and without further remedy. But it will be asked, by what method is this cause to be detected? In this way. In all human probability the primary cause of the disorder is connected with the diet; this is the case in ninety-nine instances out of a hundred. Well, then, is the sick child at the breast? If so, ascertain whether the breast-milk is healthy and wholesome, or whether any circumstances exist which have rendered it otherwise? ”

“ That, if the parent is able to support her infant upon the breast alone, teething will be found comparatively an easy process, and unattended with danger; the mother thus reaping a delightful reward for all the anxieties and privations nursing necessarily involves. That the child brought up partially, or entirely, by hand will always pass through dentition with more or less of pain and difficulty; but that even here, if the diet has been properly regulated, much less suffering and inconvenience will arise than when less attention has been paid to it. ”

“ How often is it the case that persons, by the appearance of a favorite article, are tempted to eat merely to gratify the palate, when the stomach is already adequately supplied. All such intemperance wears on the constitution, and shortens life. It not unfrequently happens that excess in eating produces a morbid appetite, which must constantly be denied.
But the organization of the digestive organs demands not only that food should be taken in proper quantities, but that it be taken at proper times. ”

“ In fact, it is the effect of stimulation254 inciting to excessive brain, to the neglect of physical, exercise; the brain is clogged by its own unexcreted waste, and the entire system unbalanced and unstrung. It is in such cases that a resort to “tonic treatment,” beef-tea, or a “generous diet” of flesh-food—for which, perhaps, a fictitious appetite is created by the use of “regular” or irregular bitters—often destroys the patient’s last chance for recovery. ”

“ If the child is kept in all-round good condition, teething is merely a part of its all-round development, no more troublesome than the growth of the hair on the head, or the nails on the fingers. To the healthy child, the cutting of each successive tooth may bring a trifling irritability, restlessness or wakefulness for a few nights, and drooling. The baby may even suffer from loss of appetite, a very slight fever, light vomiting, or streaks of undigested food in the stools; but these symptoms will last only a few days and the baby will recuperate rapidly. ”

“ I will venture to say that if a prize were proposed for the scheme of a regimen most calculated to injure the stomach, the teeth and the health in general, no better could be invented than that of Americans. In the morning at breakfast, they deluge their stomach with a quart of hot water, impregnated with tea, or slightly so with coffee, that is mere colored water ”

“ If a person should bathe in warm water every day, debility would inevitably follow; for the frequent application of the stimulus of heat, like all other stimulants, eventually causes relaxation and weakness. If, therefore, a person is in the habit of drinking hot drinks twice a day, the teeth, throat, and stomach are gradually debilitated. This, most probably, is one of the causes of an early decay of the teeth, which is observed to be much more common among American ladies, than among those in European countries. ”

“ The complaints or the diseases induced by dentition are numberless, affecting almost every organ of the body,—the brain, occasioning convulsions, water on the brain, etc.; the lungs, producing congestion, inflammation, cough, etc.; the stomach, exciting sickness, flatulence, acidity, etc.; the bowels, inducing griping, at one time costiveness, and at another time purging; the skin, causing “breakings-out.”
To prevent these diseases, means ought to be used to invigorate a child’s constitution by plain, wholesome food, as recommended under the article of diet; by exercise 1071and fresh air ”

“ This revelation alone shows a delicate usefulness of Appetite that has escaped students of the human senses.
In the matter of the insalivation of liquids, evidence continues to accumulate to show that in the present prevalence [Pg 6] of liquid or soft foods lies the great danger to the digestive economy of man. Through them, mouth work becomes neglected, and the tendency is to force the stomach and intestines to take on the work of the powerful mouth muscles and glands in addition to their own work, and in the straining that ensues trouble begins. ”

“ All cavities should be filled with a soft filling. The milk teeth should not decay, but should fall out, or be forced out by the second set. A child should be taught to gargle early and a mouth wash should be used morning and night.
Dentition.—As a general rule the process of teething is accompanied by some symptoms. There may be fever, restlessness, and loss of appetite; though in many cases there are absolutely no symptoms. Some children seem to teethe hard, others easily. The same child may have some teeth without pain, and with others it may suffer severely. ”

“ It solves the whole question of the right combination of foods; solves the question of the quantity of foods, and the quality of foods, after one has got his appetite trained, his natural instinct trained; and when it comes to certain diseases like acidity of the stomach, hyper-acidity or hypo-acidity, dilation of the stomach or cirrhosis of the liver, or any other trouble with the digestive organs, if it does not effect a radical cure it makes it possible to tolerate a condition which otherwise would be deadly in a short time. ”

“ The act of eating is the starting point of the long series of processes whereby our bodies are nourished. It is the only act of them all which lies within our control. We [Pg 42] can directly supervise the work of our mouths; we can watch over the action of the teeth, and tongue, and palate; but we can not supervise the work of the stomach, or of the intestinal tube. Once we have swallowed our food, our mastery over it has ceased—except for some hit-or-miss participation in the further processes of its digestion by means of pills or potions. ”

“ Combe: “Nearly one half of the deaths occurring during the first two years of existence are ascribable to mismanagement, and to errors in diet. At birth, the stomach is feeble, and as yet unaccustomed to food; its cravings are consequently easily satisfied, and frequently renewed.” “At that early age, there ought to be no fixed time for giving nourishment. The stomach can not be thus satisfied.” “The active call of the infant is a sign, which needs never be mistaken.” ”

“ Action is greatly exaggerated in one part, and as greatly lessened in another—hence violent movements and complete unconsciousness co-exist. Children often have such fits. Where they arise from indigestion as a result of bad food, the cure is found in teaspoonfuls of hot water, and a hot sitz-bath coming up over the bowels. Where bad blood causes the fits, poultices over the kidneys will usually help greatly. (For fits of teething children, see Teething.) ”

“ All foods which in any way cause gastric or intestinal disturbances must be avoided. If these disturbances arise during the course of the disease, the patient should be promptly returned to the strict milk diet. When edema is prominent, it is treated as already described in the treatment for the like condition in nephritis by the Karell or salt-free diet.
The dietetic treatment given here is merely a guide to be used under certain conditions. The physician formulates the diet, and the nurse must understand what to expect and how to apply the treatment as the symptoms arise. ”